In 2009, a modest group of Internet enthusiasts started trading digital cash as an economic experiment. Although unstable in the beginning, by 2011, “Bitcoin” had gained momentum. Media coverage and an influx of users allowed Bitcoin to mature into a system that could be traded for dollars and function like government-backed currencies. Its marketplace has hosted over 17 million transactions and has become a billion dollar industry. Bitcoin and a host of other “cryptocurrencies” continue to grow, and some people see them as the way of the future.